Viewtopia 09/15/09: Top 5 DVDs of the Week (With Video!)

This week, nerds rule, as Wolverine, The Big Bang Theory and the underground hip-hop documentary Nerdcore Rising drop. The gang from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia would probably give them all wedgies if they could.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Two-Disc Special Edition (2009)

Studio executives worried that the theatrical fate of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was sealed weeks before the film premiered, when an workprint was leaked onto the Internet. The resulting firestorm of bad reviews by comic fanboys based on the unfinished film only heightened its critical drubbing in the mainstream press. None of thsi stopped the movie from raking in cash at the box office, however. In this origin flick, Hugh Jackman reprises his role as the feral mutant Wolverine, and we witness the century-long struggle with his half-brother Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber). Along the way, William Stryker (Danny Huston) makes Wolverine even more indestructible by grafting Adamantium to his bones, making it that much easier for the mutant to escape from and exact revenge upon the Weapon X program.

Extras include:

* Commentary by Director Gavin Hood

* Commentary by Producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter

* "The Roots of Wolverine: A Conversation with Stan Lee and Len Wein"

* "Wolverine Unleashed: The Complete Origins"

* Alternate "Memory Erase" sequence

* Deleted Scenes

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Second Season Four-Disc Set (2008)

Chuck Lorre's The Big Bang Theory was one of the few surprise hits of 2007 and proved that sitcoms could be intelligent and funny. Considered to be one of the smartest fictional shows on television (David Saltzberg, a professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA, checks scripts and provides dialogue, math equations and diagrams for the show), the geeky world of physicists and engineers turned out to be one ripe for humor. Leonard (Johnny Galecki) is a brilliant experimental physicist and his roommate Sheldon (Jim Parsons) is even more brilliant theoretical physicist, but even with their combined high IQ's they can't seem to predict or even begin to understand their blonde, attractive neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco).

Extras include:

* "Physicist to the Stars"

* "Testing the Infinite Hilarity Hypothesis in Relation to The Big Bang Theory"

* Gag reel

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Nerdcore Rising (2008)

With the dawn of the new millennium, as our world has gone further online and become more Hi-Def, nerds and geeks have become its rightful rulers. But what exactly do these tech-savvy titans listen to when they unwind (besides John Williams and They Might Be Giants, that is)? Nerdcore hip-hop. Damian Hess, aka MC Frontalot, has been cited as one of the founders of the underground movement and credited with naming the new rap subgenre. First-time filmmaker Negin Farsad chronicled Frontalot's 2006 U.S. tour and interviewed artists fellow Nerdcore artists such as mc chris, Optimus Rhyme and MC Lars, as well as "Weird Al" Yankovic (whose "White and Nerdy" has become a Nerdcore anthem), Prince Paul and Penny Arcade's Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins.

Extras include:

* Interview with filmmaker Negin Farsad, MC Frontalot and G Minor 7

* Deleted scenes

* "Nerd of the Week" clips

* 2 Never-before-seen short films

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: Season 4 Three-Disc Set (2008)

Not since Seinfeld has a TV show reveled in man's inherent cruelty and callousness to his fellow man. The gang on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia may not be full of the sharpest tools in the shed, but Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Rob McElhenney), Charlie (Charlie Day) and "Sweet" Dee's (Kaitlin Olson) all-for-none, and everyone-for-himself attitude is a welcome respite from sitcom clichés. The show officially moved from cult status to a legitimate phenomenon with the Season 4 finale "The Nightman Cometh," which the cast has performed live around the country in an expanded edition (it's included as an extra on this three-disc set), and which could prove hard to top.

Extras include:

* The Nightman Cometh Live!

* Dennis Reynolds: An Erotic Life

* Season 4 Blooper Reel

Phantasm II (1988)

Director Don Coscarelli, like many of his fellow horror filmmakers, has often had to work under grueling conditions with very little money. However, unlike contemporaries such as John Carpenter, Wes Craven and Sam Raimi, Coscarelli still works on a shoestring, even now that he has a huge following. Coscarelli is best known for his low-budget and wildly imaginative Phantasm series, consisting of four films made between 1977 and 1998. Phantasm II is the best of the bunch, with Coscarelli's largest budget to date, a whooping $3 million, and the series most classic moments. Phantasm and linear storytelling have never had an easy relationship, with character's dreams and delusions making up much of the movies. Phantasm II picks up during the last five minutes of the first film with Mike (James LeGros) and Reggie (Reggie Bannister) following the trail of destruction left behind by the enigmatic Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) who turns corpses into zombie dwarves to use as slaves on his home planet.

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